Switch for electric circuits.



' minal 22 is preferably formcvdf'of spring Parana Fries.

HERBERT S. BROWN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 190'?.

Application filedvM-ly 12| 1906. Serial No. 316,442.

To all urlzom if. may con cern:

Be i1v known 1ha1 l. HERBERT S. BROWN, a citizen ol the l'uitcd Suites,and 11 resident of the city of New Yori-z, county and State of New York,have inverted cerlain ncw and useful Improvements in Switches forElectric Circuits, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to switches, such as are used for connecting anincandescent lamp with the circuit from which it is supplied or forconnecting sections of lighting or power circuits. i

The object of the invention is to provide a circuit closing devicehaving a single push button movement so arranged that successivedepressions oi the button close und open the circuit; a further objectof the invention is to improve and cheapen the mechanical constructionol such switches.

ln the accompanying drawings Figures l to 8 inclusive, illustrate theinvention in its preferred forni appliedas a socket switch. Fig. l isasectional side view ot a socket with the casing partly broken away;Fig.V 2 is a view from the rear side of Fig. l with the casing removed;Fig. 3 is a section on line c, d, Fig. l; Fig,- 4 is a plan view on linea, b, Fig. l; Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view to show the switchcontacts in an inltermediatc position; Fig. 6 is a section on line g, h,

and switch; Fig. 8 shows the supporting post'and' spring holder for oneof the movable circuit terminals of the switch; Figs. 9 and l0 show amodified form of 'switch applicable as a socket, pendent, or similarform of switch; and Figs. ll and l2 show a\second modification in theform of the switch.

The socket, Figs. l to 8'inclusive, consists of a base piece 20 ofinsulating material to which are fixed two circuit terminals, one ofwhich 2l is a screw terminal; the other or central terminal Z2 is aflat, spring-like comact. Beneath the free vend of the terminal 22 is apost or pillar 23 formed integral with the base 20, and which supportsthe free terminal of the contact 22 against too vigorous pressure whenthe translating device is screwed into position. The terminal,.22 isconnected to thc insulated.conductor w andftlie terminal 2l is connected1o the insulated conductor 1v, circuit passing through the switch to bedescia'icd and the screw 24, shown in dotted outlincin Fig l. Theterbrass and is held in position on the base by means ofa screw 25;formed integral with this terminal 22 is a lug 2G, and there is a screw27 under which the bared terminal of the wire tu is passed. When thescrew is turned the friction tends to carry the wire away'froni thecenter of the screw, the wire sliding on the surface of the conlact 22and this lug 2G blocks and holds such movenient without interfering withthe ready application "of the bared terminal of the wire w to itsposition under the clamp 27. AMore than one lug 26 is a disadvantagebecause it impedes and blocks the ready application ofthe barcd wireterminal around the screw in apparatus where the parts are closelyconfined by a case or shell. This lug 2G is located on the left handside of a right hand .screw so that the movement of the screw carriesthe conductor against the lug.

28 is a circular' shell vof insulating material and 29 is a metal shellwhich incloses the entire apparatus fitting closely upon the circularbottom of the base 20 over which a supplemental part 30 of theAinclosing shell also fits. There is a single'retaining screw S1 shown indotted outline in Figs. 4 and 5, thisv screw passes through an aperturein the bottom1 of the base Y20tand through the shell 29, 30, atseparat-ed circumferential points 32 and 33. The nut 34 is inserted inthe base 20 and blocked in position by cement 35; this nut is insertedthrough a lateral aperture 36 vbored into the base 20 lfrom'the side orvertical surface of said base.

The switch or circuit breaker forming part of the socket is composed oftwo movable, spring-retracted interlocking circuit terminals; a yieldingactuating finger is caused to engage -first one terminal and then theother to make and break the conducting Contact between them; thisfingeris preferably flexible or flexibly supported and the terminals areresilient and interlock. The actuating device is preferably moved'firstto make and then to break circuit by a straight line, reciprocatingmovement Vcharacteristic of the ordinary push button. The simplest formof this switch is shown in Figs. f) and l0; 20 is the insulating base ofthe socket; a blade spring of conducting material, like spring brass7 isanchored at 47; this spring 40vhas a hook terminal 4l, the othei circuitterminal 42 is of similar material and is anchored at 48. is aretracting push button fixed to the bar 47 reciprocating in the guides49. 46 is a retracting-spring holding the push button -45 in theposition shown. Fixed to this push'button is a. flexible finger 43having a terminal 50 fixed at an angle with respect to the blade orspring 43. When the push button 45 is depressed7 it being normally inthel position shown in Fig. f), terminal 50 engages blade 42 which makescontact. with blade 40, and the deflection given to both causes the freeend of blade 44 to pass the point of the spring 4l and blade 44. becomesinterlocked behind the point ofthe hook 4l, this closes the circuit. Thenext time the button 45 is depressed it engages the ho'ok 4l and theresulting deflection tends to straighten out both springs, thusreleasing spring 42 which snaps 4away and breaks the circuit. Upon therelease of the but-ton 45 the parts return to the position shown in Fig.1).' The form of this switch as it appeais in Figs. l to 7 inclusiveembodies the same principle of construction and operation but the partsare more substantial and occupy more space in the socket; in these sevenfigures,

and 42 are the electrical contact points of substantially similarconstruction, the moving contact 40 moves on a pin 60 formed of a blockof metal 61, and there is an adjacent shoulder 62 to receive the spring63 which is formed into a loop at 64and when forced down between theshoulderl 62 and the block 61, one of its ends is in position to engagewith the freeend of the electrical contact 40, and the other end engagesa fiat on the side of contact 40, tending to keep contact 40 always in afixed position. The second contact 42 moves on a similarupin 70. Thespring 73 is formed as shown in Fig. 3 and is bent to closely surroundthe metal base piece forming part of post 7() with which base piece itmakes rictional engagement, and is retained in such position by theadjacent insulating base, by this arrangement no rivets or fastening devices are required to hold the spring in position. 1n a plane below thecontact 42 and affixed thereto is a hooked arm 71, and in .the sameplane, fast on the contact 4() is a hooked arm 72. The free ends of thearms 71 and 72, and the free endsoi the electrical contacts 40 and 42are i'n position to interlock, to make and break electrical contact andthe parts 4() and 42 are in the same plane, which is parallel to theplane in which the arms 7i and 72 are 4located; the contact 40 and thearm 72 are movable on the pin 60 and the Contact 42 and the arm 7l aremovable on the pin 70. 73 is a flat spring having one end fixed inposition and its free end engages the free end ot' the arm 71. Theflexible finger 43 is fixed to the push button 45. This push button isin a sleeve S0 andthe sleeve is held in position by cement 96. Thespring 4G abuts at one end against the insulating base 20, and at theother end spring 46 abut`s against a tubular section` in which the pushbutton is fixed, and which surrounds the finger 43. In its normalposition the push button is as shown in Fig. 4, where the contacts 40and 42 are'shown to have completed the electrical circuit. I n Fig. 7,`the normally open position is shown, where the contact 4() is separatedfrom the contact 42. These two positions are attained by successivedepressions of the button 45. 'Assuming the switch is in the normallyopen circuit position, shown in Fig. 7, when the button 45 is depressedthe flexible finger 43 engages lever 71 and deprosses it against theforce oi the spring 73; arm 7 i in its movement rotates on the pin 70carrying contact 42 into engagement with contact 40, which yields,allowing the point of contact 42 to pass and take a position between theend of spring 63 and contact 40; upon releasing button 45, spring '73forces Contact 42 to ride upon the end of cont-.ict 40 and circuitremains closed between 40 and 42, and the parts come to rest in theposition shown in Fig. 4. The next depression of button 45, the partsbeing as shown in Fig. 4, flexible nger 43 l engages arm 72 and theparts take the position shown in Fig. 7. It will be noticed that theparts 71 and 42 movable on the pin 70, and the parts '72 and 40 movableon the pin constitute two movable, spring-retracted, interlockingcircuit terminals.

A modification of this switch is shown in Figs. 11, 12. Thecircuitterminais 40 and 42 are like those represented in Fig. 9, and areduplicated to form. a double pole switch. The yielding actuating device43 is modified to operate both switch contacts simultaneously,extensions 90 and 91 heilig attached to it for this purpose. Theflexible finger 43 is. supported on a spring 93 land the push button 45on the rod 47 has a retracting spring 46, all as heretoiore described.The rod 47 on which the push button ,is located passes through anelongated aperture 92 in the actuator 43. This actuator 43 is capable ofmovement in two directions simuitaneonsly that is, it is yielding andflexible. It is intended that this modification of the switch shall beused in connection with circuits of greater amperage, and in positionswhere the actuator must have considerable strength Combined with limiteddimensions in the direction of the movement of the push button.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. Thecombination in an electric switch oi two movable spring-retractedinterlocking circuit terminals. n yieldingl actuatini.Y finger thereforand means whereby sn id finger is caused to engage first one terminalund then the other to ,make and break conducting contact.

2. The combination in 5i switch of two interlocking;r spring retrnci'edcontacts, and menus for causing said contncts to engage and disengngeconsisting of n yieldingr spring retracted device. and nn independentactuator therefor.

.'l. ihe combinntlon ln n switch of two interlocking spring.: retractedcontacts and moans for cousin.: said coninctsto engage -nnd disengnirc'consisting oi n yielding actuating device. und n controlling devicemorini: in n 4. ln mi electric switch the combination oi two movableinterlocking spring retracted contacts und n flexible, spring retractedactuating device therefor.

5. In nn electric switch the combination of two interlocking springretracted contacts, n iic'ziblc. spring-retracted nctunling devicetherefor nnd u push button for moving said device. Y f

(i. in nn electricv switch u yielding spring-retracted actuating devicecombined with two resilient contact terminals and moons whereby soldterminals interlock.

7. In un electric switch u yielding, spring-retracted, actuating devicecombined with two resilient contact terminals, menne whereby saidterminals are caused to interlock, und menus whereby said actuatingdevice is caused to engage first one terminal and then the other. n

B. In nn electric switch the combination. with n movablespring-retracted contact and n complementary contuct,oi a yielding,spring-retracted actuating device therefor.

il.y in un electric switch yxi yielding spring-retracted actuatingdevice combined with' n resilient contact. a complementary contact undmenus whereby said contacts are caused to interiock. l

` l HERBERT S. BROWN.

Witnesses: l

Henin' G. Fm'rscnn, A. M. DoNLnvY.

liol

